Monday, October 22, 2007

Little Steps

Tonight at water aerobics (my favorite form of exercise these days) the Billy Joel song It's Still Rock and Roll To Me was playing as I was jumping like a frog and then pretending to shoot an imaginary basketball. Anyway, in a way only songs can, I was right back to a muggy dorm room in August of 1990 unpacking my bags. My roommate and lifelong best friend, Carrie, and I pulled our first all-nighter unpacking and arranging and rearranging our 12 X 10 room that night. Part of it was probably adrenaline related but the other part (at least for me) was trying to work off that feeling of impending doom. The next morning my Dad would be driving back home 8 hours away and leaving me to live my new life.

Thinking about all of this made me a little teary eyed. I don't think anyone could tell because of the water splattered all over my glasses. My oldest daughter, Hannah, left yesterday for a week with her best friend to Chicago. I'm completely comfortable with her going, but I can't believe that she did. She and her friend have planned this trip for months. I am so excited that she will experience a wonderful city and share those memories with one of her favorite people. I went on vacations with Carrie's family for as many years as I can remember. These trips expanded my world. They became a part of who I grew up to be.

"...continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose. Do everything without complain- ing or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life—in order that I may boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor for nothing...." Philippians 2:12b-16

I often want to be the one to do big things for God. This verse reminds me that it is in doing the small things well and without complaining that I can be most useful to Him. So when I'm taking care of the sick and sweeping up the floor again and just got sauce on my only white shirt and somehow managed to drop a box of crayons down the dryer vent and my friend is hurting and my child is frustrated with school and I really don't feel like I can answer one more question.... I remember that this is my time to SHINE AGAIN.